The Magic of Memories
by iloveromance
Summary: When Emelius Browne leaves to return to London, Eglantine Price finds herself engulfed in memories and dreams. But real life may prove to be even better. A very belated birthday present for Sydney3 with my sincere thanks for reintroducing me to this wonderful Disney movie!


_**A/N: I apologize for the delay in getting this written and posted but this is a belated birthday present for Syndey3 and when I found out that this is her favorite Disney movie, I was excited for the opportunity to watch it again after not having seen it in such a long time! This story was really fun to write and although this is my first attempt at writing a "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" story, I'm pretty sure it won't be my last! Hope everyone enjoys it! **_

Eglantine sank into her chair, staring at the closed door. Beside her she could see Carrie clutching her younger brother Paul as tears streamed down the girl's face. Eglantine felt like crying too, but she wouldn't dare. Emelius had a right to leave if he so chose and it wasn't her place to convince him otherwise. His home was in London and… well, that's the way it should be.

She lived alone for a reason and even though she'd been given the company of three lovely children to look after and care for, it certainly didn't mean that she expected Emelius to step in as their father. The notion was completely-

Her thoughts were broken by the soft sounds of Carrie's crying. But as easy as it would be to let her own emotions falter, she had to stay strong. And so she rose to her feet and went to the children, gently draping an arm around Carrie, making certain to draw Paul and Charlie close.

"Come along now!" She said gently. "Time for bed!"

Carrie turned to her. "Why did you let him go, Miss Price? Why?" She asked tearfully.

"You know very well the answer to that question." Eglantine said firmly. "Mr. Browne's home is in London. Now off to bed, the three of you!"

But instead of doing as she asked, young Paul looked at her with the saddest eyes she'd ever seen. "When is he coming back?"

The question, although expected, made her heart ache and she wanted so much to tell him that she hoped that Emelius would return soon. But she couldn't lie to him. She had to tell him the truth… as much as it hurt her to do so. But the truth was always the best option. "I'm afraid he's not coming back, Paul. But don't you worry. We'll manage just fine. Now, off you go!"

She patted the three children on their heads and sent them to their room. When they were all washed and ready for bed, she tucked them in and kissed them goodnight.

"Sweet dreams." She whispered as Cosmic Creepers appeared at her feet. She smiled at the scraggly black cat and coaxed him into her bedroom. Minutes later, dressed and ready for her own slumber, she stared at herself in the full-length mirror. The long white nightgown flowed down her body, conjuring up a memory;

_The white nightgown twirled and turned in his arms and although it was Eglantine who had initiated the spell, she couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. It was silly being jealous of her own wardrobe but this wasn't just any piece of clothing… it was her nightgown. A lady in 1940's England wouldn't dare dance with a man in her nightgown, let alone let her nightgown do the dancing for her. It was silly, to be sure, but perhaps the jealously of her nightgown meant something more…._

She laughed and pushed the thought away. Emelius was her friend and nothing more. If it weren't for him, she would never have become an apprentice witch. But there was no use in pondering over it any longer. Emeritus was gone and there was nothing she could do about it. Another thought came, stronger this time, and she sighed, trying to will away the tears and the memory that came with it. But they both surfaced just the same.

_As the gold four posted bed sank deeper and deeper into the lagoon of the beautiful Briny Sea, far below the Island of Naboombu, she held on with all her might. But in her heart she knew it wasn't necessary. Emelius wouldn't let anything happen to her, she was certain of it. When they finally reached the bottom, they floated along singing happily, but she never expected him to give her a flower, or to ask her to dance. But when he did both of those things, it made her feel truly wonderful. _

_Suddenly the bubble curtains of the Beautiful Briny Ballroom parted, revealing a captivating sight; fish couples of every color were dancing to the slow, jazzy sounds of The Briny Boys in their red striped suits. Overhead the glittering balls turned around and around, giving the sea a romantic glow, as though the setting needed any more romance. _

_And it was in that moment that she fell in love with Emelius Browne. _

Her eyes flew open and she gasped at the realization of where her thoughts had taken her. She tried to deny the fact, but her heart protested. Oh dear… Could she really be in love with him? It just didn't seem possible.

She sank into the plush chair, content to stroke Cosmic Creeper's fur. The back and forth motion of her hand on the cat was so soothing that she found herself drifting to sleep. And it was there that she began to dream….

They were dashing in each other's arms, with eyes only for each other. And suddenly the silence was broken.

_"Eglantine?"  
_

_She smiled and looked into his eyes. "Yes, Emelius?"  
_

_"You're beautiful. I know we haven't known each other very long but may I ask you a personal favor?"  
_

_"Oh… all right." _

"_Would it be all right… in this lovely setting of colorful fish, lively music and peacefulness if I were to kiss you?"  
_

_Her heart beat faster, and she knew exactly how to answer. "I was hoping you would ask. And my answer is yes. Yes, of course you may kiss me."  
_

_Their faces moved closer and closer to one another until their lips were almost touching and when his breath moved warmly across her face, she held him just a tiny bit closer until-_

A knock on the door startled her and her first thought was to ignore it. There was no telling who it could be at this hour. Dare she think it was the Nazi's coming to invade? At that moment, fear swept over her and she found herself completely terrified.

But something made her open the door. With trembling hands and tears in her eyes she thrust the door open. "Ahh!"

"Englantine, I'm so sorry that I frightened you! Oh, I knew I should have waited until morning but I found that I couldn't wait! You see-."

"Emelius!" She cried, throwing herself into his arms. He held her close and his staggered breath told her that he was just as surprised as she was by her boldness. But she couldn't let go of him, she just couldn't.

After a few seconds he slowly drew back and looked into her eyes.

"Wh-what are you doing here? I thought you were on your way to London."

He smiled sadly and removed his hat. "Well, I was. I sat at the train station for hours. Apparently the next train isn't until morning. I hope I'm not imposing."

"Of course not. You're more than welcome to stay here until then."

"Well, actually there's a reason I came back. A-another reason I mean… You see...I realize that I don't belong in London. Not alone anyway, and…. Well… I was just hoping…. The children… I love them and they need a father. And you, Eglantine…."

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"Y-you do?"

She never wanted a husband or children but now that she had both, she wouldn't trade them for anything in the world… or the beautiful briny sea

Tears filled her eyes and as one trickled down her cheek, he brushed it away. "Please... don't cry. I don't want you to be sad."

"I'm not sad… I'm…"

"I know it's a shock, but I do love you, I'm certain of it! I've loved you since the moment I first laid eyes on you on that street corner. And if you'll allow me to stay, I promise we can go anywhere you like in your traveling bed… the children too! I want us to be a family!"

"Emelius, what are you saying?"

He took her hand and lowered himself to one knee. "Eglantine, marry me, please… I promise to love you until the day I die and into the afterlife and give you happiness for the rest of your life… and the children. We can even go back to the Briny Sea and to the Briny Ballroom and dance the night away. The children loved it there and they're sure to find plenty to do. If you're worried about going to the Island of Naboombu, don't be…. We'll just have Paul turn the bedknob and ask to be on the bottom of the sea, thus bypassing the island. How does that sound?"

"It sounds lovely!"

But it wasn't Eglantine who answered him. It was the voice of a child. Eglantine and Emelius turned to find Carrie, Paul and Charlie watching them in the doorway.

"What are you children doing out of bed?" Eglantine demanded.

"We heard your scream." Carrie explained.

"And we wanted to make sure you are all right." Charlie finished.

"See? They were worried about you and so was I." Emelius said. "So what do you say? Marry me? This is a lovely house you have here, but I think the children would be more comfortable in my home, where they have a room full of toys and lots of space to play in. And of course there's my huge library where books fill the shelves, thus fueling their imagination."

Eglantine smiled when he kissed her hand. "So what do you say?"

"Say yes! Say yes!" the children said, jumping up and down. Their motions sent Cosmic Creepers bounding up the stairs, making them all laugh.

"Well… in that case…Yes… Emelius. Yes, I will marry you."

Cheers and shouts of joy could be heard from the children, but Eglantine was content to kiss her fiancé again and again. "We'll marry as soon as possible." He said quietly when the kisses ended. "And I promise it will be the most beautiful wedding you've ever seen. Anywhere you like… anywhere at all."

"May we help plan the wedding?" Paul asked eagerly

"Yes, Mrs. Price may we?" Carrie asked, even more enthusiastic.

"We'll talk about that later." Eglantine said. "Now off to bed with you!"

"Can't we say goodnight to father first?" Carrie asked.

Emelius looked up in surprise. "To_ Fath_-oh, right! That's who I am, isn't it? Or I will be very soon. Your _father_...yes, of course." He walked over to Charlie and extended his hand. "Goodnight, Charlie. I'm looking forward to getting to know you better. You're a bright young man and I'm sure you can teach me quite a few things."

Charlie laughed as Emelius ruffled his hair. "Goodnight."

When Charlie was gone, Emelius turned to Peter. "Goodnight, Peter. And thank you."

Peter scrunched up his nose. "You're thanking me? What for?"

"For sending that bed to London. Because otherwise I would have never met Eglantine or you three wonderful kids."

"Goodnight Father." Carrie said, unable to stop smiling as she threw her arms around Emelius.

"Oh, I do love the sound of that. Good night Carrie." He smiled, kissing his soon-to be daughter's forehead. "Goodnight Children."

Eglantine smiled. "Well, I suppose I should tuck the children in. Just make yourself at home."

"Of course dear. But first things first..."

Her eyebrows rose and she felt her cheeks warm when he kissed her again. She could get used to this.

After tucking the children in and reading several stories in order to get them to sleep, she finally turned out the light and tiptoed into the hallway. When she reached the living room she was about to turn out the light when she saw Emelius sleeping soundly in her chair. He looked so content that she hated to wake him. And so she grabbed a blanket and a pillow, gently lifting his head and placing the pillow underneath. The blanket draped across his body. And as she smiled at him, she realized how handsome he was… and she knew that he would be a loving husband and father.

"Goodnight, my darling." She whispered, leaning to kiss his cheek.

She never wanted a husband or children but now that she had both, she wouldn't trade them for anything in the world… or the beautiful briny sea.

THE END


End file.
